Balancing conservation practices and profitability in dairy farming

Dairy Strong Tina LeBrun

Attendees at the 2025 Dairy Strong conference had the opportunity to hear from Tina LeBrun, the Executive Director of the Minnesota State Southern Agricultural Center of Excellence for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.  

Through her work with the Farm Business Management program, LeBrun assists farmers in making data-driven decisions to achieve their business goals by utilizing FINPACK business analysis. 

“The biggest misconception we see in Farm Business Management is that farmers are working with us because they need help,” LeBrun said. “That’s not the case. In fact, the farms we work with are actually quite profitable.” 

Recently, an opportunity arose to contribute to the climate-smart efforts, which are gaining momentum across the ag industry.  

It’s more important than ever to measure what farmers are doing and understand the benefits these practices have in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

It’s critical that climate-smart farming practices are an economically viable solution for the farm's long-term sustainability, she said. 

The desire to connect financial sustainability with environmental sustainability led to the formation of the Headwaters Agriculture Sustainability Partnership (HASP). 

Dairy farmers in Minnesota and Wisconsin are examining the connection between environmental sustainability and economic viability. A group of 19 Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative farmers located in Central Minnesota and Wisconsin recently completed their first financial report based on performance in 2023. 

“What I’m finding with our reports was that weather was such a driver,” she said. “That’s why we need to look at multiple years because weather can have such an impact on cover crops.” 

As the program progresses into the coming years, LeBrun says it will look to continue expanding, aiming to identify new partnerships and opportunities in the future.